Nothing Without Me
by xfirefly9x
Summary: Daniel/Vala. A collection of short fics based on the relationship between Daniel and Vala.
1. Nothing Without Me

**_Nothing Without Me_**

"You'd be nothing without me."

"Excuse me?"

"You'd be nothing without – "

"Yes, I heard that. And I think that you're terribly wrong. I _know_ you're terribly wrong."

"Oh? Am I?"

"I was fine before I met you and I'll be fine without you should God answer my prayers and take you far, far, far, far away."

"Now, Daniel. That's just mean."

He offers a careless shrug and a smirk.

"You don't really pray for me to be out of your life, do you?"

He takes a moment to respond. "No. I don't. Vala, I'll never be nothing without you, but I'll always be stronger with you, better off."

She grins. "See? I told you so!"

"Vala! Do you want me to take that back?"

They share a look.

"I'll be good."

_fin._


	2. Real And Meaningful

**_Real And Meaningful_**

Daniel is studying a tablet scrawled with script similar to Latin when she appears in the doorway. Vala. Val Mal Doran. He's still not used to her presence and finds that he's rather off balance whenever he crosses paths with her. That she is now watching him, a gentle smirk in place, therefore does not sit well with him.

The 'what's', 'why's' and 'how's' of her sudden appearance in his office beat at his thoughts, pushing all else to the edge of his mind, and his heart flutters.

What had she done?

Why was she now here?

How did she manage to excite him (thought he'd never admit it to her) while busily feeding him fear at the same time?

He swallows. "Vala. What do you want?"

She winks at him and practically glides over to him, flaunting her outfit - or rather, lack thereof. "What do you think I want, Daniel?" she purrs. She reaches otu a hand and lazily traces a finger down his chest. Her eyes never leave his.

"I...uh...stop it!" Daniel catches her hand when it ventures further down than he's willing (at least consciously) for it to go. Unconsciously, he's cheering her on.

Vala raises an eyebrow and allows him to remove her hand. She runs her tongue across her lips. "Is something the matter, Daniel? Do you not want to play?"

He can feel his face heat up and silently shakes his head. No. He ignores the part of him that wants to throw her against a wall or over the bench and have his way with her.

If he is to have a relationship of any sorts, he wants it to have meaning. He doesn't want something casual. And Vala doesn't want that. He's certain of it.

Vala shrugs and makes her way to the door. Once there, she turns and smirks some more. "Maybe later," she hints. She leaves without another word.

Daniel frowns and shakes his head to clear Vala's visit from his mind.

Not once does it occur to him that behind the smirk, Vala might want something as real and meaningful as he does.

_fin._


	3. Costume Party

**_Costume Party_**

He can't stop laughing. He just can't. He's tried and it only resulted in more snorted laughter and a fresh round of tears in his eyes. The glare Vala wears only deepens the primal desire - no, need - to laugh.

"What's so funny?" She slaps her hands to her waist and narrows her eyes.

Daniel stops laughing for a moment to hiccup and then continues. He points at her. Speechless.

"Is it," Vala asks, "my costume?" She runs her hands down her front, smoothing out the feathers.

"I," he starts," was being. Sarcastic." Smirk. "When I said." Grin. "There's a costume party." Full out giggles.

Vala pouts at him and then does something that throws him completely off. She smirks. At him.

"Just as well I mentioned this costume party idea to Sam, Cameron, Muscles and the airman that looks oddly like your half brother, then," she hints.

She flees before he can so much as open his mouth to ask what she was implying.

Concerned, he leaves for Sam's lab. What he finds is not what he'd been expecting.

Sam, Cam, Teal'c and an airman he doesn't recognise are standing in their usual SG-1 outfits, Vala beside them in her parrot suit. All of them burst into hysterics when he races in, his face flushed.

He frowns. "Huh? What's going on? Vala said you were all in costumes."

Vala leans in to Sam and whispers loudly, "See? I told you I could convince him you all went cuckoo and decided to play dress up!"

_fin._


	4. On Your Own

**_On Your Own_**

"Have you ever heard the saying 'curiosity kills the cat'?" Daniel says, arching an eyebrow. He fixes Vala with an exasperated stare.

Vala blinks at him, shrugs. "A tactic to warn people away from other people's business, is it not? Evade their attentions. Fool them. It'd make it easier to keep quiet about something."

Daniel sighs loudly. "No, it's more of a warning that you should leave things as they are and not poke into them - especially without knowing what you're doing. It can be dangerous and get you into trouble."

"Hmmm, maybe. But I still think I'm right." Hands on her hips, she challenges him with her eyes. A smirk pulls at the corners of her mouth.

He doesn't take the bait, but rather brushes her off. "Fair enough. Whatever you think it means though, you've got to stop going through General Landry's emails right this minute. If he comes in here and finds you - "

"Us."

"Us, then. Going through his email..."

"Oh!" Vala exclaims. "That's where the killing part comes in."

"Exactly."

"Right then. I think I've seen enough of this." She clicks the window closed. "It's just a whole lot of boring documents anyhow."

"Excuse me?" Landry says, entering the room as he does so. "'Boring documents'. What are you referring to by that?"

Vala gulps. "I...Daniel?"

Daniel shoots her a look as if to say 'I told you so' and goes back to his work. "You're on your own, Vala."

"I'm the cat." She frowns.

Landry raises an eyebrow. "What?"

_fin._


	5. Really, Really

**_Really, Really_**

"Do you really think you are up to it?" Vala smirks. "You can barely move."

Daniel shifts slightly, proving he can in fact move. "Hell, sure, I am." He pauses and raises an arm. "See? I can move."

Raising an eyebrow, Vala curls up against his side. She nibbles on his earlobe. "Are you certain about that, Daniel? You could hurt yourself if you're not careful. If you can't move..."

"No, I'm sure. Let's do it." Defiant.

"Now?"

"Hmmm. Maybe we could lie in a bit longer. It's really, really quite comfortable here." He snuggles further into the blankets covering them.

"It is really comfortable," Vala agrees, "but I really, really want to do this, Daniel! I really do!"

Sighing, Daniel wraps an arm around her. "Okay, okay. Give me five minutes more and then - "

"We can go ice-skating?" Vala interrupts excitedly.

Daniel nods. "We can go ice-skating."

_fin._


	6. Torn Inside

**_Torn Inside_**

"Forget yesterday. Live in the now."

Daniel chews on the end of his pen as he recalls Vala's words. His mind is a chaotic tangle of thoughts, feelings, captures of images. He is torn inside.

Earlier, he had found Vala very nearly naked sprawled on his bed at the SGC. It wasn't the first time she'd been so forward with him. She had in fact tried the same tactic twice before. Unsuccessfully, of course.

On neither of those two times did he actually consider handing himself over to her.

This third time, he had.

He couldn't have just let her have her way with him, could he?

Yes, a part of him hisses.

He ignores it and stands by the solid 'no' he'd have answered the first two times had he taken the time to consider it then.

'No' was the answer he'd gone with on this latest encounter anyhow.

That's the reason why he's sitting here now, alone in his lab, instead of being pressed up against Vala's body, becoming one with her.

He sighs, loudly, and wonders why he feels disappointed about that.

_fin._


	7. Some Other Time

**_Some Other Time_**

"I'm sorry, Vala, but something's come up," he tells her with a grim smile. He feels a twinge of regret the moment the words leave his lips, but he knows it can go no other way. "I'm really sorry," he repeats before he can analyse it and change his mind.

Vala stares at him. The hurt expression on her face and the watery grey of her eyes makes him hate the situation – and more than that it makes him hate himself.

"If I could change things, I would," he states quietly. He runs a hand through his hair and readjusts his glasses. His stomach turns.

"What's come up that's important enough to cancel our date for?" Vala asks bitterly.

He tries not to wince. "I had a breakthrough on the script we found on P3X-697 and General Landry asked me to finish it tonight. It mentions a weapon that if we can find would be a great help against the Ori. The sooner we can find it…"

"…the sooner we can eliminate the big and scary forces of the Ori," Vala finishes, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah."

"And you can't take a few hours off for dinner?"

He shrugs. "If I'm going to get the rest of the translation finished I can't. Vala… I was really looking forward to tonight. I hate that I have to cancel on you. Would it be okay if we do this some other time?" He takes a deep breath and holds it.

Vala studies him for a moment and then her frown disappears and is replaced by a thoughtful smile. "I know!" she says. "I'll bring our dinner to you. You have to eat, Daniel."

He nods slowly, breathes again. "That could just work," he agrees. He can feel the start of a smile pull at his lips. "I have some candles around here somewhere that we could use for atmosphere."

Planting a kiss on his cheek, Vala grins. "It's a date."

He smiles back. It's not what he had planned, but it was better than nothing. "That it is," he agrees.

_fin._


	8. Ice Cubes

**_Ice Cubes_**

The blades of the ceiling fan spins but the air is never cold. The humidity is too thick to cut through and it's pointless to even try maximising the effect of the hot air that is circulating the room with additional fans. He knows that from firsthand experience. It doesn't work exceptionally well at all.

If they were in a room with air-conditioning they might sense a change in the climatic conditions but as they are fans are all they have and all that they will have until they can leave and go home (where they actually _do_ have air-conditioning).

Vala groans for the fifth time in as many minutes and swipes the back of her hand over her forehead. She reaches across him for one of the icepacks on his desk and fits it to her face.

"You okay?" he asks softly. He's surprised how much energy the two words take up.

A grunt. Yes.

"Mmm." He flicks his eyes up to meet hers. They travel over her sweaty face on their way and he grimaces in sympathy.

He reaches for one of the tiny blocks of frozen water sitting in a dish in front of him and holds it out to her in the palm of his hand. "Ice cube?" he manages.

She accepts it and pops it into her mouth in one swiping motion. "Thank you, Daniel." She offers him a small smile. "You know, this weather isn't too bad when you think about it."

He raises an eyebrow. She's practically melting and yet she thinks 'it isn't too bad'?

"If you like to see half naked women, for example," Vala goes on, making him wince. (He should have guessed!) "There's also being able to wear little clothing without being scorned for it."

He nods slowly. That last bit makes sense he supposes. Vala had certainly been taking advantage of it the past few weeks – as had he, by extension.

"Even better than that," she pauses.

"Yes?"

"What we did with those ice cubes last night." There's an evil glint in her eyes as she says it and a shudder goes through him as he remembers exactly what the ice cubes went through the previous night. If it hadn't been so damn enjoyable he'd have felt quite sympathetic towards them. "There is that," he admits quietly. He returns the smile she gives him.

"So, what are your plans for tonight?" she asks all of a sudden. She winks at him.

Without taking his eyes from hers, he tells her. "Tonight I intend to finish this paperwork finally," he gestures at the page in front of him, "and also help keep you cool."

"With ice cubes?" she enquires.

"With ice cubes."

Her lips curl into a wicked grin and she nods once. "I can live with that."

"So can I."

_fin._


	9. Don't Believe You're Ready

_**Don't Believe You're Ready**_

"Daniel, I think," Vala says, scrunching up her nose. "I think I'm in love with you." She wrings her hands together at her front. It had taken her several hours and even more practice runs with the mirror as her company, to work her way up to telling him.

He raises his eyes from the papers on his desk to fix them on her.

"Daniel," she says again, pleading with him silently when he doesn't respond any further.

His eyes drift back to his work.

"Well?" Vala prompts him.

Nothing.

"Please Daniel. Say something."

She pushes off the desk where she'd been sitting for the past half hour and shifts closer to him. She rests a hand on his shoulder.

"A girl tells a guy she loves him... well maybe loves him, I could be wrong," she attempts a smirk but fails. "She needs an answer."

He slams his pen to the desk, unsettling the papers and exhales loudly. He spins around to meet her face on.

"Vala! Stop this. Just stop." His gaze sweeps straight through her. "I'm sorry but I don't love you. And I don't need you hanging around in here, being irritating! It's not helping."

She opens her mouth and then closes it.

"Go. Just go," he says.

She narrows her eyes in confusion and in pain.

"Go!"

"All right! All right!" she abruptly turns, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. "I'm going."

He sighs as she lingers a moment longer. "Look. I'm sorry, okay?" he says. "I don't believe that you're ready for a serious relationship and I'm not ready to try something until I'm sure."

Her face is void of any happiness when she looks at him. She stares at him for nearly ten seconds before the pain gets to be too much for her. She breaks away from his gaze and runs.

_fin._


	10. Far Too Slowly

_**Far Too Slowly**_

It has only been a few hours since they left Daniel fighting back Adria with his newfound powers, but it feels like much longer. Every passing moment seems to expand and last a much larger amount of time than it really is.

The fear in the pit of her stomach has only tightened the longer she's been apart from him. She swallows hard - it does not alleviate the heavy feeling in her throat - and she cracks her knuckles. Sucking her bottom lip up into her mouth, she bites down on it. Any harder and it will draw blood.

She looks from each of her teammates faces and tries not to sob out loud when Daniel's face is not among them.

"We're doing everything we can, Vala," Sam says quietly.

She nods, unable to speak. Her earlier outburst had done nothing but invoke more panic inside of her; to keep siilent now can only benefit her. Silence limits the chance of another breakdown caused by her concern for Daniel and therefore result in less strain on her emotions.

Cam pats her on the shoulder. "She's right, you know. Before you know it, Sam'll have something worked out and we can go and get our boy back."

Another moment fades away and then another, each moment filled with their determination to get back Daniel.

For her, the time passes by far too slowly.

_fin._


	11. Penny For Your Thoughts

_**Penny For Your Thoughts**_

He's called her name out seven times and he's waved his arms about trying to get her attention. So far all she has done in response is sigh loudly and bang her head on the desk before settling there and not moving. He calls to her again. "Vala! Hey!"

Nothing.

Frowning, he stands up and moves across to the other side of the lab where she is seated. He fists one hand and then flicks his index finger out. With it, he prods her in the back. She flinches but doesn't make any attempt to acknowledge him.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he tries.

She grunts at him.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." He flattens his palm over her back and rubs it soothingly. "You okay?"

She grunts again.

:Vala. I can't help you until you tell me what's wrong."

"Headache." She lifts her head slightly.

"Oh!" He nods, not noticing her wince at the volume of his words. "I'll get you some water and painkillers. I'll be right back." He's gone for maybe ten minutes. When he returns, she has reverted to the same position as she was in before, slumped over the desk.

"Vala?" He touches her shoulder gently.

Nothing. Concerned, he prods her again. She lets out a snore and his feet nearly leave the ground.

"Wow! Uh. Sleep well," he says and places the glass of water and pills beside her. He returns to his chair and watches over her between doing more paperwork.

_fin._


End file.
